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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Corona Cohort Y12 into Y13, braving the storm of the third wave

986 replies

Monkey2001 · 20/06/2021 11:24

Supportive thread for parents of Y12 students going into Y13.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4240252-Thread-16-Corona-Cohort-Year-12-2021-Zooming-through-Summer-Term

OP posts:
Fferny1 · 07/07/2021 11:06

@Heifer I'm going to see if DD is interested in the Bath programme. It may coincide with her Invest in thing in two weeks though.

Oblomov21 · 07/07/2021 12:02

I think visiting Uni's is a new thing. Back in the day hardly anyone did. I knew one person who went to visit Birmingham. Because they were set on it.

I got Portsmouth through clearing so just arranged a room the week before. Never even visited! Just turned up!

With Bristol for my MA I never even visited either. Just went!

I can't even get Ds1 interested in visiting Southampton! But I will take him. I'm determined HmmNo chance of visiting 4 others! and will tell Ds1 that that's what he's choosing! Wink

He could do London, if he got top grades. Bath and Bristol ask too much/ too high calibre. Reading? Doesn't leave me with much ; Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Brighton.

Everywhere else is just too far away.

I do think in covid its best to be close.

Orangecinnamon21 · 07/07/2021 12:07

@Oblomov21

I think visiting Uni's is a new thing. Back in the day hardly anyone did. I knew one person who went to visit Birmingham. Because they were set on it.

I got Portsmouth through clearing so just arranged a room the week before. Never even visited! Just turned up!

With Bristol for my MA I never even visited either. Just went!

I can't even get Ds1 interested in visiting Southampton! But I will take him. I'm determined HmmNo chance of visiting 4 others! and will tell Ds1 that that's what he's choosing! Wink

He could do London, if he got top grades. Bath and Bristol ask too much/ too high calibre. Reading? Doesn't leave me with much ; Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Brighton.

Everywhere else is just too far away.

I do think in covid its best to be close.

I've been impressed by Surrey's offerings lately...very student focused. Is that an option...I know Brunel and Holloway are technically London ...but not in the city Grin
EverythingDelegated · 07/07/2021 12:23

Sounds as though you are in a similar position to us Oblomov. We are looking at Winchester, Chichester, Reading, Royal Holloway, Bournemouth, Roehampton. OK geographically but ruled out for other reasons are Surrey, Sussex, Portsmouth, Southampton, Solent, Brighton. Also worth looking at local technical colleges, a lot do have a few degree level options accredited by a full uni.

I did go and visit a couple of unis back in the 80s, ended up at Portsmouth without visiting but I did know the city.

Seeline · 07/07/2021 12:30

I visited all my uni and poly choices back in the mid 80s, as did my friends. We certainly didn't have our parents with us and travelled all over the country by coach/train. It was a great experience - hadn't done much travelling on my own at that point.

Orangecinnamon21 · 07/07/2021 12:37

How does everyone feel about moving to Further Ed section for next thread. It was mentioned in the last thread.

I'm ambivalent but just putting it out there that I do not want to go onto Higher Ed. Simply because, whilst you can get most excellent advice on there. There are some posters who I'm seem to like to derail threads by insisting upon their own world view
...also some may not be going to Uni !

crazycrofter · 07/07/2021 12:47

I went to uni in the early 90s and I visited four or five and only one was without my parents - and I hated it as everyone else seemed to be accompanied! It's funny as other people on here claim that no one went with parents in their day. Dd isn't at all concerned about the campus buildings but definitely wants to get a feel for the city.

I'm happy to move to further ed. It would be a shame to lose people because they're going on to apprenticeships or work.

EverythingDelegated · 07/07/2021 12:55

It was me who suggested moving to FE on the last thread. Just thinking that if anyone was looking for a thread like this, that would be where they would naturally go and look, especially if they don't have any younger DC still in secondary. I agree with not moving to HE though.

SandyBayley · 07/07/2021 12:59

@Monkey2001 - my Oxford sources (DS1!) suggest that the plan is for all Oxford interviews to be online again this year. I'd assume that includes Medicine.

It's possible Oxford might be an outlier because it normally involves an overnight stay but I'm assuming everything will be online again at all medical schools this year. Anything else would be a pleasant surprise!

Orangecinnamon21 · 07/07/2021 13:05

@EverythingDelegated

It was me who suggested moving to FE on the last thread. Just thinking that if anyone was looking for a thread like this, that would be where they would naturally go and look, especially if they don't have any younger DC still in secondary. I agree with not moving to HE though.
Ah yes! Makes sense
Piggywaspushed · 07/07/2021 14:05

I a m happy to move to FE. I do feel it attracts certain posters though whose experience is marginally relevant, outdated and not supportive. I am still stinging about a savage attack launched at me a few years back simply because I queried what a non RG uni was like...On the whole this thread is a haven of non judgementalness (not a word..)

I guess we need to keep our thread starts as clear as they currently are about the thread being supportive.

Piggywaspushed · 07/07/2021 14:06

Oh, that'll teach me to read threads backwards.

Easier to say what Cinnamon said...!

Original poster
Monkey2001 · 07/07/2021 14:09

@Seeline

I visited all my uni and poly choices back in the mid 80s, as did my friends. We certainly didn't have our parents with us and travelled all over the country by coach/train. It was a great experience - hadn't done much travelling on my own at that point.
Me too. My dad died when I was in Y12, and I had 3 siblings so my mum could not trawl around the country with me. I think I had an interview at Bristol, but all a bit sketchy now!

I don't think I have ever looked on FE as I see 6th form as part of school, but will follow you wherever you end up! We have raced through this one!

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 07/07/2021 14:10

To continue the visiting unis discussion. I applied to Glasgo where I lived (as do many many Scots) so didn't feel the need to visit. Every other university back then interviewed so I visited by default : or didn't because I was rejected by Manchester (their loss!!), and didn't fancy Bristol in the end when I realised how very very far it was. Ironically my original reason for applying there was to put 500 miles between me and my toxic family!

Piggywaspushed · 07/07/2021 14:10

*Glasgow ! Blush

EverythingDelegated · 07/07/2021 14:19

I don't think I have ever looked on FE as I see 6th form as part of school, but will follow you wherever you end up! We have raced through this one!

Ah, see I live in a county with virtually no state 6th forms so pretty well everyone goes to college and we think in terms of FE I suppose.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 07/07/2021 14:26

I visited at interview, not before, and went on my own to all of them. I thought everyone did that.

MirandaWest · 07/07/2021 14:28

I had a lovely time visiting universities in my own. Started university in 1994 - did some visits at the end of year 12 and then either interviews or visits in year 13. My mum and dad gave me a railcard, bought me train tickets and off I went.
Some people’s parents drove them there but there weren’t many parents actually at the talks from what I remember

Orangecinnamon21 · 07/07/2021 14:56

So much can depend on the environment on the day I find. A visit to a quiet campus in June or a busy campus in October, a rainy day a sunny day etc Grin
I'm not interested in looking at lecture theatres or facilities so will leave Dd to do that on her own. Interactions with staff are important , we did a self tour at Southampton but met someone in admissions who was willing to pull out all the stops to get us on a prebooked tour and noted that Dd was a bit reticent so pointed out how we could go and peep at Halls rooms if we wanted. A clear sign of 'we want you to come here' makes all the difference.

I love exploring the UK don't do it enough!

20newnames · 07/07/2021 16:07

Yep, I visited all my choices in the early 1990s too.

DS is considering the Step into Bath programme, it's only an hour a day but he is still at school for the first couple of days of the engineering one!

stoneysongs · 07/07/2021 16:55

Hello, lovely to hear about everyone's plans beginning to take shape. We'll be visiting a few uni towns / cities over the summer - DS has some ideas about where he wants to go based on course info but I think they might change when he has a look. I don't think he'll do any official open days or tours until the ones for offer holders (🤞🙏😬) and even then I'll be surprised if he goes to many. He's so laid back, it drives me mad because I do like to plan and chat about things. 😁
I've learned to just keep my mouth shut! 🤭

icanbewhatiwant · 07/07/2021 17:15

Ds has had more further education talks at school today...university is back on. He no longer wants a degree apprenticeship. I can't keep up!

Still no intention to look at universities and no intention to think about anywhere other than Sussex. DH's dd lives near to Brighton. So we could easily stay with them and do a visit.

KingscoteStaff · 07/07/2021 17:33

I had interviews for all my potential courses (late ‘80s), but I had already visited a couple - on the train with my rail card!

@Orangecinnamon21 so true what you’re saying about the visit day being influential - I’m sure DS turned down Bristol because it rained all day on the Open Day and the train was delayed by a good hour…

Bovrilly · 07/07/2021 17:43

so true what you’re saying about the visit day being influential - I’m sure DS turned down Bristol because it rained all day on the Open Day and the train was delayed by a good hour…

I remember having a terrible audition / interview day at Manchester, mostly due to falling off a bus into the road Shock
I didn't get an offer, but even if I had, I wouldn't have gone there!

SandyBayley · 07/07/2021 18:59

@KingscoteStaff - that may well have been the same open day at Bristol that we went to. DS1 was completely turned off by the torrential rain.

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